Tennessee Law

[SouthernBelle]

There is pending a bill in the TN legislature to put into effect the "give 3 feet when passing" rule.

In today's Nashville Tennessean there is an article and a poll. I'm not above stuffing the ballot box here. So would everybody please go vote yes:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs....WS09/703300403

Nice article too BTW and no registration required.

[IFjane]

I voted! It is a good article & hopefully the publicity will have a positive rather than a negative effect. Doesn't hurt that the cyclists pictured are from a church!

[SouthernBelle]

Fortunately it's in a paper that most, if not all, legislators read. So hopefully it will have a big effect.

[Thorn]

I helped and voted for you...up here we have a 3' rule. Many drivers adhere to it, some will even give you 6'. On rare occasions we get the violators, but I've yet to find some place where the jerks don't live <sigh />.

Riding in Texas we were buzzed much more often. I don't know if they a 3' law or if it is just the culture (we were in ranch country where pickups and guns rule). At some of their passing distances, all it would take was a tiny gust of wind and I'd have been history. <shudder />

Good luck getting this passed (and then enforced)!

[roguedog]

Hey.. voted.

Maybe it'll start a precedent for other states to follow.

[PscyclePath]

Arkansas just got this signed into law yesterday afternoon, as Act 681 of 2007. Oklahoma has had it since last summer. Hopefully it's a good trend.

[Eden]

I voted for you and wish you luck. We have the 3 foot rule and a new law that says you can't cross the yellow center line if there is a bike coming towards you (a woman was killed by a car that was passing and hit her head on ), but I don't think I've EVER seen either of these laws enforced and I probably see both of them broken every time I go out....

Rules are cool, but somewhat useless without enforcement. As it is very few of our traffic laws here get any enforcement, since the police have other more pressing things to do, so I find it unlikely that we'll see anything, anytime soon. Here you're unlikely to be pulled over for a traffic infraction unless the cops want an excuse to pull you over anyway. And to boot most of the drivers have no idea what the traffic laws pertaining to bikes even are.

[Derf]

Just voted!

[Running Mommy]

We are getting new signs in some of the busy cycling coridors here in the valley. They are 8 foot by 3 foot and they say "SHARE THE ROAD. CYCLISTS GET 3 FEET" with the picture of a car next to a bicyclist.
This was spurred on after a very prominent triathlete couple were nearly killed last November.

[SouthernBelle]

Thanks for voting. I figure we have to start somewhere. When I get the chance, I do mention it to the local police.

[smilingcat]

I just voted too. And I did check "yes".

BTW, just because the rule says you're in the right don't matter if a car decide to run you/us over. The end is still the same so keep a sharp eye out for all cars.

ride safe,